Come Back To Me
by luniso
Summary: He was my best friend, the person I turned to when everything was wrong. I was the person he turned to when his life was in chaos. That's how it worked. We were there for each other always. We knew we'd fall apart one day, but not that soon. I never forgotten his face or that he was the only person that really cared. I never forgot that I was in love with Josh Franceschi.
1. Chapter 1

**I literally started writing this 20 minutes ago. I don't know where the idea came from but I really like it.**

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He was my best friend, the person I turned to when everything was wrong. I was the person he turned to when his life was in chaos. That's how it worked. We were there for each other always. It didn't matter if we had school, or if it was the middle of the night. We'd come to each other's side whenever the other needed it.

His name was Josh Franceschi. I'd met him in the fourth grade when we were seated next to each other. At first we hated each other, always fighting about the silliest of things, but then again, we were only young. About half way through fifth grade was when that changed. I was the one that was bullied, the stereotypical 'weird girl' that no one liked and everyone judged. My bag was torn from my back, everything in it being thrown to the floor and ripped up and chucked in the bin. Josh happened to be walking past when it was happening and I don't know what made him do it, but he defended me and managed to stop whoever was bullying me. I was a crying mess and because I still 'hated' him so I didn't want him to see. I fought against him but he wrapped his arms around me and simply held me. I cried until there was nothing left. I left his shirt soaking wet but he mustn't have minded.

"Are you okay now?" he asked me in the softest voice I'd ever heard.

"Um, yeah I guess so. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

**That was the day I began to fall in love with Josh Franceschi. **

From then on we were inseparable. It literally happened overnight. People didn't understand what had happened to cause such a drastic change in opinion of each other but I didn't even answer their questions. We weren't anything like a couple though. We were more like brother and sister; well that's what it was like in his eyes. As the years went on and we practically knew everything about each other, I was hopelessly in love with the one person that stood up for me and made me feel safe, protected, and loved.

We were sixteen when we fell apart. My mum had decided to move away from Surrey, to Liverpool. The distance may not have been that far, but to us it felt like we were going to be separated by a million miles. I can't even remember how many nights I cried, how many nights Josh was with me, holding me and crying himself. Up to this day that was the most depressing time of my life. Okay, that's a lie. It was the second most depressing time.

Everything was packed away, we were actually moving. The last time I saw Josh was on the 14th of August, 2006. He had just turned sixteen and he admitted to me that this was the worst birthday he had ever had. He wouldn't let me go when it came time for me to go and I didn't want him to let me go. My mum was getting impatient so she said something horrible.

"Hurry up, you'll find new friends in Liverpool."

That sent Josh over the edge. He literally broke down in front of me, a collapsed heap on the ground. I had never seen him like this. He was always the strong, supportive one and I was the weak, dependent one. My heart broke. I cupped his face in my hands and looked into his beautiful blue eyes.

"I promise you that we will see each other as much as possible, okay. I promise."

I kissed him on the cheek, tears running down my face. I could taste his tears on my lips; they were the sweetest tasting thing even though, in a literal sense, they were salty. It was extremely hard to leave him like he was but I had no choice. Mum literally dragged me to the car and threw me in. I looked out the window at Josh until I could no longer see him.

"I love you, Josh. I love you so much." I whispered, hoping that he would hear me somehow. The tears didn't stop until I passed out because of exhaustion. I woke up and we were in a new city, a new town, a new house. It seemed like a dream at first so when I went to sleep that night I hoped that I'd wake up and everything would go back to normal. Of course, that didn't happen and the separation from Josh was painful; mentally, physically and emotionally. Those first few months were definitely the most depressing point in my life.

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**So many ideas and not enough time to write them all! Why do I have to go to school now? I'll try and update as much as possible.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I couldn't wait, I just had to write the next chapter. I disregarded schoolwork for this but I don't really care.**

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Now that I think back on it, I remember that in the first year in Liverpool wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course I was still torn apart about the fact that I only ever say Josh on the holidays between school – and that was only if either of us had enough money to go and see the other. That pain lessened over the years and I had learned to live without him. We saw each other less and less until we didn't have any contact at all. He used to cross my mind every now and then though. I used to wonder about how he was doing, who he was friends with and what his life was like now.

My life had gotten a bit better; I had friends that actually cared, which was new considering that in Surrey I was considering the weird girl. I had a boyfriend at one stage if you can believe it. That didn't last too long because we were too different. That didn't bother me too much though; I was just as content being by myself.

When school ended and I said my goodbyes to the friends I'd made in Liverpool, I decided that I'd move somewhere new. I desperately wanted to move to London, only having been there on the trip to Liverpool when I first moved there. So I guess there was nothing left for me to do but to pack my bags and leave. Mum didn't take it too well, she cried for about an hour before I left. I didn't sympathise much considering that this was what it was like when I had to leave Josh. I smiled and waved as I reversed out onto the street and drove away.

That was almost four years ago now. I'd been living in London up until this day, working at a small boutique on the corner of my street. It was a lovely place to work, I didn't have to over exert myself and the pay was brilliant. I was able to live comfortably. The only annoying thing about where I lived was that it was across the street from Hyde Park. There was always some kind of concert happening and some of the artists that played were definitely not my preferred genre. I loved the indie rock; it was relaxing as well as extremely catchy. The heavier rock that was often played did my head in to the point of earplugs which was ridiculous because I couldn't even hear myself think. I learned to live with it.

I was now twenty-two and pretty much living the life I wanted. I could relax most days because the boutique never drew in many customers, just the overly rich ones that were able to afford what we sold. That inflow of money is what kept the shop afloat. We only needed to sell two or three items to pay the rent for a month. When those customers did come in I acted as friendly as possible – obviously – so that there was the highest chance of a sale. Today was different. I was in a horrible mood. I didn't know what brought it on but I couldn't act happy. Thankfully the store was dead quiet. I had about an hour until I had to close up shop so I decided that I'd start reading. I'd managed to read a few pages but the bell above the door rang signalling a customer. I didn't bother to look up from my book because I was too engrossed in the story. I heard their footsteps as they walked around the shop until they stopped. They must have picked something up because they continued to walk again, getting closer to the counter I was sitting at.

"Um, I'd like to buy this, if that's alright?"

"Yeah sure, just pass it over-"

I looked up at the man that wanted to make a purchase and almost choked on the tea I was currently drinking. My eyes widened and my jaw literally hit the floor.

"Josh?" I said in the quietest voice I didn't know I possessed.

"Uh yeah, do I know you?" he asked, scratching the back of his head trying to figure out if he'd seen me before.

"Well that's definitely not what you say to your old best friend." I joked.

His eyes lit up, obviously acknowledging who I was. The widest grin I'd ever seen spread across his face and he began to shake. He looked down at the floor and then I saw that his grin had disappeared. He stood in silence for about a minute before he began to talk.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his voice cracking.

"Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry I never saw you. I missed you – I still miss you."

He looked up at me and a tear fell from his face. I had dropped the book I was reading and made my way around the counter. I slipped my hands around his waist and hugged him tight. He responded by wrapping his arms around me and hugging me equally as tight.

"It's my fault, Josh. I gave up because it just got too hard. That doesn't matter though. I missed you too."

He laughed with relief and I pulled away smiling up at him. _God I missed you so much._ He was exactly the same as he was when I left him. I missed the way he smelled, I missed the way he held me, I missed his voice and the way he smiled. I missed my first and only love. I kissed his cheek and the old but familiar taste of his tears hit me like a wave. The memories of us were flooding back.

I walked back around the counter and reached for the store keys. The owner wouldn't mind if I closed up twenty-five minutes early.

"So what do you say we go and catch up?" I said cheerfully. My bad mood was completely gone.

"I only have an hour or two, but of course." He said, smiling so wide it looked as though his cheeks were hurting.

We walked out of the shop and I locked up. I put the keys in my pocket and we began to walk down the street. I felt his hand brush mine but I acted as though I didn't notice and he must have done the same as well. It was only when I felt his fingers find mine that I decided to look up at him. He locked his fingers with mine and smiled.

"You don't know how much I missed you, Kyla."

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**I didn't know what her name was going to be, that's why I didn't mention it until now. I don't know if I like it but I'll just go with it. I'm not good with names.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't know about this chapter, I guess you could say that it was rushed. School always gets in the way and it's honestly so annoying when all I want to do is write.**

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You know when you haven't seen someone in so long that your memories of them fall between the cracks and end up completely forgotten? I hadn't realised it but that is exactly what had happened with my memories of Josh. Once upon a time we were best friends and now that I looked back on it all, I found it hard to remember anything we spoke about or anything we did together. It was only six years ago but I guess it all goes quickly when your life changes.

Josh and I found a small café just around the corner from the boutique. We found a booth at the back and he first let me chose a side to sit at and then slid in the opposite side. A younger girl practically skipped to where we were sitting and flashed us a scarily wide grin. When she asked us what we would like, we both ordered a chai latte. We looked at each other and laughed. Apparently after all these years we both still loved them more than any other drink. When the girl left with our order I glanced over at Josh who was staring at me with those beautiful blue eyes that made my heart melt.

"What?" I asked him. A wide grin made its way across his face and he continued to stare.

"Nothing, I just can't believe it's really you. I can't believe my Kyla is in front of me again."

His words burned into my chest. _I'm still his Kyla._ I can't explain it, but it felt as though my feelings for him had never disappeared, they had just been dormant. Seeing him again brought all the emotions and memories back to life and to be honest, I was finding it difficult to keep myself from crying. I was overwhelmed with so many things I had once suppressed into the deepest part of my mind. I absentmindedly took myself back to the day I left Surrey. I remember Josh breaking down right in front of me for something my mother said, something I can't recall anymore. His beautiful blue eyes were full of tears. That was definitely something I still couldn't handle to this very day. The girl snapped me out of my nostalgic thoughts when she smashed one of our lattes on the table.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, miss!"

"It's fine, love, honestly." I gave her a warm smile and she weakly smiled back. "Just make me a new one to make up for it and I'll forget it even happened."

She ran back behind the counter and out the back. Josh was in hysterics which wouldn't have helped the poor girl's embarrassment in any way.

"Josh, be quiet!"

"I'm sorry, Ky, it was just too fucking hilarious!"

He slid out of his side of the booth and walked to the counter. He returned with a handful of napkins and slid next to me. He began wiping the table and the seat around me and then made his way to my leg. He managed to use all the napkins so he had to make a second trip to the counter. Most of the spilt drink was cleaned up when the girl returned with a second chai latte. I could see the caution in her eyes and her stance as she walked at the same pace as an old man with a walker.

"H-here you go, miss. I'm so sorry." She walked off before I could say thank you.

Josh was still sitting next to me and he had reached over and grabbed his latte from the other side of the table. He edged closer to me until I could feel his leg touching mine and I suddenly had the heart of a hummingbird. I hoped to God that Josh couldn't hear it as well.

"So what made you move to London, Ky?" he asked while sipping on his latte.

"To be honest, I don't really know. I just wanted to get as far away from Liverpool as I could. I have found everything I've ever wanted right here."

He didn't seem to have acknowledged my reply because he was still looking down into his cup. Even when he put it down on the table he still seemed to be looking at it.

"So you've found everything, huh?" He said softly, not even looking up at me when he spoke.

"Um, are you okay?"

"Answer my question."

"Uh, yeah I guess I have. I live in the most perfect little apartment and work in the loveliest boutique. I've made friends that I would never have expected of making which was a nice bonus." I smiled at my small achievements. "Now you answer mine."

"So you haven't found, you know, _anyone special?_"

I was expecting him to answer my question so when he didn't I was slightly taken aback.

"No I haven't, well I've dated a few people, but they were never anything too serious."

Josh breathed out heavily and turned to me.

"Well I'm fine, why would you even ask such a thing?" He had another grin on his face.

"Wait, what?"

"Well you asked me if I was okay, and I answered your question."

I was so confused. It was as if he had completely disregarded what I had just said. He was also back to his normal, happy self as well. I swear he was the strangest person I'd ever met. I must have alarmed Josh because he then asked me if I was okay. I realised that I was frowning while being consumed with my own thoughts.

"Oh sorry, I'm okay. I just got lost in my own head."

He sighed with relief and finished his latte. I hadn't even touched mine yet. I decided to finish it quickly so that we could head off. We'd lost track of time and apparently an hour had passed already.

"Josh, didn't you say you had to head back to wherever after an hour?"

"Oh shit! Yeah, I completely forgot!"

He jumped up out of the booth and dragged me along with him. He pulled money from his pocket and threw it at the girl behind the counter. She dropped it all over the floor. _Poor girl._ Josh continued to drag me out of the store and onto the sidewalk. He turned to face me, still holding the hand he used to pull me along. Now that I was standing face to face with him, I realised how tall he had actually gotten. It was more like face to chest and I had to bend my neck just to look up at him.

"Did you want to get any taller? Fucking hell."

He laughed and took my other hand in his. I don't know exactly why he was doing this, but it seemed as though he didn't realise I was puzzled at his actions. He then began to trace circles on both of my hands with his thumbs while was looking down at his feet. He whispered something unintelligible.

"Did you say something?"

"Uh, I, um, I missed you." he said quickly. I could tell he was lying because he blushed bright red and gave me one of his crooked smiles.

It was like a scene from a movie. You know when the two people are standing still amongst a crowd of moving people, not caring that they're making everyone walk around them to get by? The boy then whispers something that he was thinking and the girl asks him what he said so he covers it up by saying something that sounded similar, yet wasn't at all. It was so cliché it hurt to think about, but it was absolutely adorable at the same time.

"Hey Josh?"

"Mmm?"

"You remember all those years ago when we were best friends?"

"Yeah, why?"

I was going to say it; I was going to tell him that I had once been in love with him.

"You were the one person that cared for me when no one else did. I told you everything and you would simply listen and hold me. I trusted you with everything I had and you never once broke it."

"I don't even see where this is-"

"I loved you." I blurted out. "I-I was in love with you." I blushed and looked down at the path. When I gathered the courage to look back up at him he was wide-eyed, staring straight through my skull.

"Josh, I, um, that was stupid to say. It was so long ago that it doesn't even matter anymore." I laughed nervously. "I don't even know why I brought that up. You should get back to wherever you're needed, you might be late."

I kissed his cheek and walked away without looking at him. When I turned to look back at him he was still standing there, looking right at me.

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**I promise that the next chapter will be better!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't know, I just really liked writing this chapter. I hope it's okay.**

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I_ am so stupid_. I still had no clue as to why I said that. It just came out, I didn't mean for it to happen. I can't even imagine what he'd be thinking right now, or if he'd even be thinking about it at all.

It all gets swept under the rug; disregarded, forgotten. Something that was one beautiful, now lost in the vast sea of the mind. Sunken to the depths of the ocean; the darkness overwhelms and conceals what was once so gloriously exposed to the light. I had forgotten about Josh, but he was still a part of me subconsciously. He never left my mind, just sank into the depths where the chances of it resurfacing were slim. Apparently they weren't as slim as once thought as I was now consumed with Josh, my mind being the battleground of my emotions.

I slumped down onto the sofa and cupped my face in my hands. I felt warm tears slip through the gaps between my fingers. Not only could I feel them, but I could taste them. It reminded me once again of my last day in Surrey and how Josh's tears had tasted on my lips as I kissed him goodbye.

_I should have told him six years ago_. It should have been me with Josh and not all those other girls that he went through. They all meant nothing to him. I should have gathered the courage to tell him how I really felt about him, that I was in love with him. I guess fear gets in the way of even the strongest people. But fear is also what _creates_ the strongest of people. It allows them to keep fighting and keep pushing forward. To welcome death means that you will never be able to push your boundaries. You will give up easier than most because you don't care whether or not you live or die. Failure doesn't seem as bad and you won't care for the consequences of it. I guess this situation never had anything to do with death, but the fear of failure is what I was so afraid of. He may never have felt that way about me so when it came to telling him, it may have destroyed what we had. I kept hiding my feelings and searching his for even the slightest chance that we felt the same for each other. I guess that's why I never told him. I never found a hint of mutual feelings in him. He was always just my best friend.

I probably let him know too much too soon and that lead him to 'friend zone' me. I wouldn't be surprised really. I told him everything about myself pretty much up front. He, on the other hand, had gradually opened up to me; there are most likely things I don't know about him, even now.

The gentle buzz of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. I reached over to the coffee table and checked the caller ID. It wasn't a number I recognised.

"Hello?"

There was a silence, but I could hear breathing.

"Um, hello?

"You should have told me, Ky."

"Josh?"

"I-I, um, fuck."

"Are you okay?"

"Come see me, I already miss you."

"But it's 11:30 and I'm about to go to bed."

"Please Ky… I, I just really miss you."

I paused, trying to decide on whether I could really be bothered going out again. It wasn't a good night for the sofa to be that extra bit comfier than usual.

"Ky?"

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'll come. Where are you?"

"Well, I'm kinda on a bus right now, but it's only around the corner from you."

"A bus? Really Josh?"

"Yeah, just start walking towards the stage setup that's currently in Hyde Park and I'll find you."

"Uh, okay… I'll leave now."

"Alright, I'll see you soon, love."

"Bye."

I honestly had no clue what he was doing in a bus; it couldn't have been too great to be living in. I had to look decent, because after all, it was Josh. I pulled out numerous amounts of outfits until I came across one that suited me just fine. A black knitted sweater with Beetlejuice leggings and a pair of black flats. I had to admit, and not trying to sound too up myself, that I had a rather good fashion sense. I had changed a lot since I knew Josh. I no longer had the stupid 'emo' fringe that I had adopted when I was about thirteen. I had also gotten rid of most of my band shirts, but I kept my favourites only so I could wear them around the house as something comfortable. I had swapped my boots and Chuck Taylor's for heels, Vans and the occasional pair of flats; like I was wearing now. I put on a bit of makeup so that I didn't look like death when Josh saw me, and then I headed to Hyde Park.

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**I can't wait to write the next chapter. I've got a great idea!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I actually quite liked writing this chapter, even though I didn't have much inspiration for it.**

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It was dark, cold and I as I stepped into a puddle I could literally feel myself hating the decision I made to come out here.

"Fuck you, Josh." I muttered to myself before continuing to make my way to the stage.

As the stage came into sight, I saw that its lights were still on. It was probably because of the concert that I had heard a few hours ago. As I got closer I could see a figure standing in the centre of the stage. I edged my way along the fence so that the person didn't notice me. I came to the side of the stage and heard the person singing. It was definitely a man's voice. I looked around for somewhere to sit as I listened to him. It took me a bit before I actually made out what he was singing.

_Tonight, tonight, and everything's alright, tonight, tonight._

_If I were in your shoes, I'd run a thousand miles just to tell you._

_If I were in your room, using just my eyes I would tell you._

_And I would tell you._

It was one of the songs I heard playing earlier tonight. Even without any instruments it sounded wonderful. The echo of the empty stage made the song sound extremely acoustic and to be honest, I really loved it. He sang it a lot slower than I remember. When I was listening to it earlier, it was fairly fast paced, but this; this was beautifully melodic and soothing. Something that I'd actually listen to if I got the chance to get it in this particular version.

I'd been sitting for about five minutes, just listening to this person sing when I wondered when Josh would get here. It was him who told me that he would find me on my way here. I could have sworn I remembered him saying that he was on a bus right around the corner from here as well. While I was pondering over Josh and his arrival time, another song had started.

_When I was younger, I always thought I could be someone if I tried enough._

_When I was younger, my father said, wear a smile, show respect._

_When I was younger, you never said when I was older, I'd feel helpless._

I didn't hear this song earlier but it was definitely as soothing as the previous song. I sat back, leaning on the railing leading up to the stage, and just let myself relax. _Josh will be here soon._ I drowned myself in this man's voice and let myself fall into a trance of thoughts. I didn't know what it was about this voice, but it felt so warm and welcoming. Listening to it made me feel at home, like I was sitting in front of a fire, eating marshmallows that my dad had brought home as a surprise. I don't know why this voice reminded me of that, but it was just one of those things that feel so right. I really wanted to know who this man was before I left with Josh so I decided to make my way onto the stage. _I really hope I don't scare this guy._

"Um, hey, your voice is really something beautiful." I called out.

I saw him jump at my voice and look around for the source of it. When he found me our eyes caught each other. I couldn't quite see him but his eyes shone a bright blue in the stage light.

"Aw thanks! I was wondering when you were going to show up!"

"Josh?"

"Uh, yeah? Who else would it be? What took you so long, Ky?"

I couldn't believe my eyes. _My_ Josh was the owner of such a wonderful voice? How come he had never told me, not even when we were best friends?

"I've been here for about ten minutes now. To tell you the truth, I've actually been listening to you sing. I had no idea you could sing so well."

He made his way over to where I was standing and pulled me in for a bear hug. His arms wrapped around me like a blanket, warmth radiating from every inch of his body. I could really get used to this. When he pulled away he had his signature grin across his face and his teeth shone in the light. _He always did have such nice teeth._ His smile faded and we were just standing there, staring at each other, not even saying a word. He blinked slowly and then fought to keep his eyes open. It was the most adorable thing I had ever seen.

"Josh," I whispered softy. "You need to get some sleep."

"Mmm," he mumbled, still looking into my eyes. "Just give me a second."

"A second for wh-"

Before I could even finish my question he had placed his hands gently on my waist and pulled me so that our hips were touching. His hands then made their way to my lower back, pulling me closer so that I couldn't pull away. He was still staring at me and was still fighting himself to stay awake.

"Josh, what are you doing? You need to go to bed."

"But I don't want to leave you." he murmured, breathing down my neck. It was completely obvious that he was about to pass out.

He leaned down and rested his head on my shoulder, breathing in heavily. He muttered something unintelligible before pulling me even closer again and running his hands up and down my back. I didn't mind this at all, not even one bit. I don't know where this Josh came from, but there was no denying that I wouldn't be able to get enough of it. I wrapped my arms around his waist and caressed the dimples in his back. I felt him shiver under my touch and a soft smile crossed my face.

My eyes shot open as I felt his hands make their way down and over my ass. He grabbed it and then lifted me so that I was wrapped around is hips. I held on for dear life as I had a growing feeling that he was going to drop me in his fatigued state. He breathing in heavily again and I could feel the warmth of his breath in the crook of my neck. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Ky?" he mumbled in my ear.

"Yeah?"

"Can we go back to the bus now?"

"Of course."

He put me down gently and kept his hands on my hips. He leaned in, our foreheads meeting and eyes closing. We rested like this for a few minutes before he composed himself and pulled away.

"Let's go, shall we?" He gave me one of his crooked smiles that I secretly loved so much.

"Okay."

His hand found mine and our fingers interlocked. They fit perfectly and it felt so right.


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